Inspiration Board - Sweet Sophisticate

I know I declared Wednesdays as my Inspiration day but this week I was in Washington DC for some exciting family business so I was unable to post.

I didn't want the week to go by without sharing this board. Have a great weekend!

Mood: elegant, sophisticated sweet

Color Palette: bluish greens, champagne & gold

Images: Top row from left: setting from theknot.com, farewell wands from brides.com, lazaro bridesmaid dress at jlmcouture.com
Middle row from left: chandelier from brides.com, gold place setting from theknot.com, cake from theknot.com
Bottom row from left: bridesmaid dresses by Kim Shokouhi Photography, lazaro bridesmaid dress from jlmcouture.com, mini cakes from theknot.com, gold shoes by Betsey Holley

If the Shoe Fits

I've been eyeing these Louboutins for the past few weeks dreaming of slipping them on for the big day.

Now I see they have a flat version too and I'm in heaven! I could do a quick change after a few hours of dancing! Who says you need heels to be glam, right?

Here are a few other options that have caught my eye. If only fuschia was part of my color palette!

Images: neimanmarcus.com

Oscars 2009 - Best in Beauty

Best Makeup - Freida Pinto

Image : usweekly.com

I thought she looked simply stunning. Total natural beauty with softly lined eyes and rose-colored lips. I love this look for my wedding day.

Best Hair - Greek Goddess - Jennifer Aniston

Image: usweekly.com

Beautiful effortless look for a beach wedding.

Best Hair - Hollywood Glam - Amanda Seyfried & Alicia Keys

Image: instyle.com

Image: usweekly.com

Love the old hollywood glamour finger waves.

Best overall - Taraji P. Henson

Image: instyle.com

What else can I say besides she rocked it! The entire look was perfect. Beautiful hair, eyes, skin, makeup and the necklace is a show-stopper!

Oscars 2009 - Trend Watch

Asymetrical one-shoulder gowns

Kate Winslet in Atelier YSL, Frieda Pinto in Galliano, Marisa Tomei in Atelier Versace, Heidi Klum in RM by Roland Mouret, Guiliana Rancic, Queen Latifa in Georges Chakra

Red Glam

Amanda Seyfried in Valentino Haute Couture, Amy Adams in Carolina Herrera, Heidi Klum

Visions of Violet

Natalie Portman in Rodarte, Alicia Keys in Armani Prive

Metallic Shimmer

Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive, Viola Davis in Reem Acra, Miley Cyrus in Zuhair Murad

Beautiful Bows

Amanda Seyfried in Valentino Couture, Jessica Beil in Prada

Cream Dreams

Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab Couture, Taraji P. Henson in Roberto Cavalli, Penelope Cruz in vintage Balmain Couture, Jennifer Aniston in Valentino Couture, Jennifer Biel in Prada, Melissa George in Dolce & Gabbana, Nicole Kidman in L'Wren Scott

Images: style.com

Oscars 2009 - And the winner is....

This was one of my favorite Oscar telecasts in quite a while. I really enjoyed the new format, thought Hugh Jackman was great and I was thrilled for all the winners - especially Sean Penn & Milk, Kate Winslet, and, of course, Slumdog.

Now onto the most important topic...the red carpet! I could go on & on about all the details...the gowns, beauty, bling, shoes, clutches, etc but I'm gonna try to keep it short & stick to the higlights & hits of the night.

My personal favorite of the night was Taraji P. Henson in Cavalli. I loved absolutely everything about the look. The beautiful ivory color, delicate tiered layers, the red clutch added a pop of color and, of course, the to-die-for Fred Leighton necklace. I loved her hair and makeup too. I thought she won by a landslide.

Images: 1 & 2 - usweekly.com, 3 - instyle.com

Next is Marisa Tomei. I loved the structure of her pleated Atelier Versace and thought that she totally rocked the look.

Image : instyle.com

Sarah Jessica Parker looked beautiful in her "barely mint" Dior Couture gown. I thought her makeup was a tiny bit harsh but she pulled it off in the way that only SJP can.

Image: usweekly.com

Penelope Cruz wore vintage Balmain. She looked like a beautiful bride. Oh and the 69-carat Chopard necklace! Wow!

Image: usweekly.com

I was a tiny bit disappointed in two of my faves, Kate Winslet & Freida Pinto, possibly because I built up expectations. I've been dying to see what they would show up in for a while now, so I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt. I definitely did like aspects of what they both wore.

Kate Winslet in an asymmetrical Atelier YSL gown with an embroidered silk overlay. The metallic slate color was different and I love love love the Chopard diamond earrings and bracelet.

Image: usweekly.com

And I love the cobalt colored, sari-inspired Galliano but I wasn't thrilled with the lace sleeve....I liked the look a lot better from the back and from the right side though and the girl is drop-dead gorgeous so I'd say overall she was a hit.

Image: usweekly.com

Last, but not least, I did like Jennifer Aniston's look. It was effortless yet glamourous. Her hair was beautiful and I liked the beaded Valentino Haute Couture Gown.

Image: usweekly.com

Image: instyle.com

After writing this I realized there's so much more I want to touch on. I just knew I wouldn't be able to keep this short & sweet! Check back later for some of the major trends of the night.

Red Carpet Countdown

I'm more excited than usual for the oscars tonight. I always love to watch the show and, more importantly, the arrivals. But tonight I'm going to be glued to the the tv to check out all the gowns, hairstyles, bling and make-up for possible wedding inspiration! Kate Winslet always looks stunning as does Penelope Cruz. Oh and that Freida Pinto! Absolutely gorgeous! I cannot wait!

Ring Relief!

We got our rings today! Another check off the never-ending to-do list! Today we finally made our way to the jewelers to get a ring guard for my engagement ring...another thing on that to-do list...and decided to take a look at rings. I forgot to mention that J has been DYING to buy our wedding rings since the day we purchased our ERs. We both weren't sure that we could wear the bands with our ERs because our rings are shaped in a way that a band wouldn't fit against it. So what to do, what to do? Wear the ER on the right hand and the WR alone on the left? If we did that, we both felt like we would need a more elaborate WR than we wanted. We tried on rings for a while and neither of us were falling in love with anything and then we finally found the one! And the one works with the ERs so we can wear them on the same finger! And we both loved the same ring so we're going to have matching ones which we're really happy about.

And to think, all I thought I'd accomplish this weekend was counting down to the red carpet tomorrow!

Image: marthastewartweddings.com

Lucky Me!

I am so excited that Erin over at Lucky Me, the Lucky Design blog, and the wonderfully creative woman who designed our amazing monogram, has featured our inspiration board on her site! Stop over and check out her blog and her store. She's at the top of my MUST READ list everyday.

Visions of Cupcakes Dance Through My Head

I, like most brides-to-be I'm sure, have been on a pretty rigorous diet and exercise plan for a while now. I've had a pretty good run minus the occasional cocktail and I've seen some decent results so far - 15 lbs in the first 6 weeks.

Unfortunately I let myself slip the other night at the Meet & Greet. I tried to be strong but the overwhelmingly delicious scent of Chocolate Blossom Cakes cupcakes took over me. It was the most delicious thing I ever tasted! Ok, I only had one little itty bitty cupcake but that sent me into a downward spiral. I ended up at Gemma later that night, dining next to Jamie-Lynn Siegler, with a plate full of pasta in front of me. Pasta & sweets in one night?!?! What did I do to myself? Needless to say I was famished all day yesterday. And I got on the scale this morning to find myself a 1/2 lb heavier than last week and at the same weight I was 2 weeks ago. Frustration has taken me over!

I'm kicking it into gear again this weekend. Hitting the gym the next three days and laying off the sweets & cocktails. Hope your weekend is more pleasurable than mine! :)

Image: marthastewart.com

Flower Power

I am loving the floral details in these pictures. I have to think of a way to incorporate them into my attire. They make a statement in a soft, feminine way. Absolutely gorgeous!

Images: Chris Nicholls